International Shipping Charges on Amplifiers (Let's Hear Your Stories)

[wishkahdaddy]

I recently have purchased 3 high end pieces of equipment from a builder who is outside of the USA. All 3 units have been shipped using UPS services. With shipping, taxes, duties, and "let me stick it to you any way I can" fees I've spent just shy of $1,500 in shipping fees on 3 items. One an amp head and 2 pieces of single spaced rack gear. For the record, it is high end gear with a total worth of just over $10,000.

Does anyone else have a better solution to shipping international? Man, I'm done. I feel bad for the builder as he puts out a world class product. I just can't subject my bank account to these outrageous shipping fees anymore. I'm curious to hear other people's stories.

 

[Mikeroesoft]

First of all, in my experience, UPS is the worst at "sticking it to you". For $1500 you could have flown there and picked it up yourself. But in reality, UPS takes their fee for processing the paperwork that the government throws at them and they charge you a premium. I have had much better luck with the USPS/Canada Post relationship, but I assume the stuff you bought was from Europe. Duties are on consumption, there are there as an incentive to buy domestic products in an attempt to keep your money in your own country. I would ship using USPS and their affiliates and buy domestic or at least within North America.

 

[wishkahdaddy]

Yes, the items were from North-Western Europe. One guy told me, for the exact same item from the same builder, FedEx shipping was $170 and taxes/duties were $60. My quote from UPS for the exact same item and shipping service is around $250+ in shipping and who knows what the taxes/duties fees will be?

 

[ledzep618]

Jesus, $1500 dollars on shipping? That just seems wrong. Is it coming from Europe or Canada? UPS is undoubtably the worst way to ship internationally, but I guess you are size limited by USPS when it comes to amps. If your gear was declared at $10,000 dollars though, you also got hit with customs taxes for items over $2000 declared value - that is standard from any country.

My buddy just shipped a fuzz pedal up to Canada for a repair last month and used UPS against what I told him. It got held in Canadian customs for 3.5 weeks and UPS charged him an $87 dollar holding fee. Had he gone USPS it would've gotten there in 5 days, no fees and would've only been like 6 bucks to ship.

My only advice on buying big ticket items is to just not buy internationally, as sad as it is, there are so many world class builders in the US that it is hardly worth supporting international builders.

 

[Andy J.]

I dislike both FedEx and UPS - around here they're expensive and you get nothing in return. The postal service's services are loads better. so- USPS all the way! FWIW, I'm way up in Northern Europe.

 

[Mikeroesoft]

I know that when I buy from the US and have it shipped to Canada, I get charged our 13% sales tax. When I ship to the US from here, the reciever GENERALY does not get hit with any fee.

 

[cardinal]

I recieved an amp from Central-ish Europe and I think it was about $600 after everything was done with shipping/customs/etc. The amp was really expensive (about $4k). Seller used a commercial shipping company rather than UPS, which I think helped keep the costs down. Worked out well, but certainly wish it had been cheaper. Pile on fees for dealing with different currencies, and it was much more expensive than I originally intended.

 

[HonkyBach]

Not in the same price range as you, but I just got two speakers shipped from the US to Canada from two different people. One came through USPS the other through UPS. Guess which one had an extra $40 charge on delivery...
To top it off, both speakers have 'issues'. Huff.

 

[fenderbender4]

Sorry to raise an old thread, but what's the size/weight limit on shipping internationally via USPS? Like say an amplifier head? Do people have more experience, or would recommend, another option besides USPS? Seems like FedEx and UPS are not the greatest alternatives.

 

[FFTT]

That's nuts, completely nuts!

You need to find a freight forwarding company

 

[fenderbender4]

Also, what have people generally paid to ship an amp head internationally, specifically to Sweden or Germany.

 

[Blix]

Also, what have people generally paid to ship an amp head internationally, specifically to Sweden or Germany.

I had a amp head shipped to Norway a couple years ago, a Dumble ODS clone. The shipping was $150 then, probably $200-250 now judging by the shipping calculator at USPS.

 

[haslar]

The Amp House ask $300 to ship a Germino Club40 head over to France (had the info yesterday).

 

[filtersweep]

$1500 for a head and two single spaced rack items?!? I could maybe understand if it was for three heads.

I tried to mail a bicycle to Europe some time ago--- and learned there was no longer any option for parcels delivered over water. It was all by air. A light bicycle takes up a good deal of space. The cost was prohibitive.

The cheapest solutions might well be the most risky, but you might consider using some sort of reshipper, who consolidates many smaller packages into a crate or container. I sent a baby jogger that way (one of the hazards of living in the US at the time and having many friends in Europe--- they all wanted us to by cheap stuff for them). The jogger wasn't that cheap to send this way, as it involved land-based parcel transportation to and from the 'ports'-- so it involves three discrete trips each way (to the shipper, across the ocean, and to the recipient).

But $1500 including duties? Duties alone would have been $2500 here. So how much was your shipping cost, really?

 

[vintagelove]

USPS is the way to go ime.

 

[CubanB]

Why does ANYONE use UPS? I don't live in USA, but they must have some really good marketing or commercials or something? They probably fund those commercials from their ridiculous prices.

The only amp I've bought overseas was sent from Germany (Thomann) to Australia for $60 or so by memory, which was barely more than if I'd ordered it interstate. Not bad.

For USA, I've had heavy items sent to me via USPS like transformers or a box full of electronic parts from TubeDepot. USPS prices are very reasonable and I've never had a problem with it being damaged or taking too long to get here. Tracking is reliable etc. Even had a guitar sent from USA to Australia with USPS, same thing. Biggest delay was when it was at Sydney customs.

 

[BADHAK]

About 5 months ago i bought a 74 Superlead from R+R Vintage in Chicago for $950 US. Factor in the poor Aussie dollar plus $400 +shipping plus $200+ customs and to my door it was just over $2000 !!!!!
I nearly bought a Flying V from Miami for $1100 US. DHL wanted $300 to ship to Australia! !! Add the exchange rate and Customs (fricken ripoff ) and once again it would have doubled the cost.
I've had enough and will be buying local from now on.

 

[Guinness Lad]

USPS last year. Quinn SDO rack and Mesa 90 rack power amp. $160 to Hong Kong.